BIO:
Jeremy Dittus enjoys a career as a pianist, theorist, and Dalcroze eurhythmics instructor. An avid recitalist, he has performed solo and chamber programs in the United States, Switzerland, and Italy.
A former Lecturer in piano, theory, and solfège at the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory in Cleveland, he also has instructed undergraduate solfège, piano, and composition courses at the University of Colorado at Boulder as well as eurhythmics and solfège at L’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Dittus has presented Dalcroze workshops at home and abroad including the World Piano Conference, National Flute Convention, Colorado Music Educators Association State Convention, Piano Celebration at Metro-State University in Denver, University of Louisville Piano Institute, in addition to several summer music institutes.
He holds a doctorate of musical arts in piano performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder and master degrees in piano performance and music theory from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. During his undergraduate work, he obtained bachelor degrees in piano performance and chemistry. His Dalcroze License and Certificate comes from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, while the Diplôme Supérieur (a doctoral equivalent in Switzerland) comes from the L’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in conjunction with La Haute École de Musique de Genève and Le Conservatoire de Musique Genève. Teachers include Lisa Parker, Anne Farber, Ruth Gianadda, Marie-Laure Bachmann, Sylvia del Bianco, Sylvie Morgenegg, Laurent Sourisse, Andrew Cooperstock, Michael Chertock, Frank Weinstock, and George Cherry.
For more information about Dalcroze eurhythmics, please visit www.dalcrozeusa.org or contact Dr. Dittus directly, <jeremydittus@gmail.com> .
SESSION TOPICS:
Dalcroze Eurhythmics is a unique, exciting, and powerful education in music for individuals of all ages and levels. Rhythmic movement, intense listening, and improvisation unlock creativity, nurture imagination, and open the doors to enriched and enlivened music making. Eurhythmics (literally, good rhythm) places experiential knowledge at the fore. Musical concepts are explored through social and interactive methods that invite the students to trust their ideas and develop their own intuitions. Dalcroze study has three branches:
- Eurhythmics trains the body in rhythm, dynamics, articulation, phrasing, and form;
- Solfège trains the ear, eye, and voice in pitch, melody, and harmony;
- Improvisation brings all elements together according to the student’s own invention — in movement, with the voice, or at an instrument.
Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, a Swiss pianist, composer, and educator, created his method of teaching using “rhythmic gymnastics” early in the Twentieth century. In a typical Dalcroze class, the instructor will combine the elements above using rhythm games, songs, gesture, and movement as the key teaching media so that the joy of music is experienced and understood. As a precursor to or in tandem with private music lessons, Dalcroze Eurhythmics will create a platform for accelerated and deep learning in all musicians.
Session A: Large Group Session (max. 75 participants): “Unearthing Embodied Musicianship through Dalcroze Eurhythmics”
We will explore Dalcroze Eurhythmics together to see how discovery can play a powerful role in movement-based education. Through the act of discovery, students can achieve a deeper sense of ownership of subject material, which can stimulate their learning potential in untold ways. This session will aim to provide participants with a Dalcroze-based movement experience at an adult level, thereby stimulating ideas for individual studio teaching.
Session B: Small Group Session (limit 30 participants): “Turning Nouns into Verbs: Applications of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in Your Studio”
This session will focus on Dalcroze Pedagogy and some of the specific aspects that give the philosophy its distinctive character and dynamic energy. We will cover different ways to inspire purposeful movement that can teach many specific musical elements. There will also a short “talk-back” time at the end where individuals can ask specific questions concerning their own teaching situation.